Gov. Scott: Orlando Metro Area Created 37,400 New Jobs Over the Year

Highest Number of Jobs Among All Metro Areas in January

Today, Governor Rick Scott highlighted the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area’s (MSA) for gaining 37,400 new jobs, the highest number of jobs in February 2014 among all metro areas in Florida compared to a year ago. The Orlando MSA’s unemployment rate declined by 1.6 percentage points over the year, to 6.0 percent in February 2014.

Governor Rick Scott said, “With one of the fastest growing economies in our state and 37,400 new jobs over the year, Orlando is leading the way in Florida’s economic turnaround. Florida has added more than 540,000 private sector jobs statewide since December 2010, and our unemployment rate is well below the national average, so let’s keep working to make an opportunity with jobs that will last for generations.”

In February 2014, the Orlando metro area gained the most jobs over the year in Florida among all metro areas and jobs were gained over the year in all ten major industry sectors. The industries with the largest job gains over the year were leisure and hospitality with 11,200 new jobs, professional and business services with 7,200 new jobs, and trade, transportation, and utilities with 6,900 new jobs.

Housing starts in the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford MSA were up by 28.2 percent over the year in January 2014 compared to a year ago.

The Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford MSA had the second-highest online job demand in Florida in January 2014 with 33,829 openings and also ranked number two in STEM overall demand in the state with 7,231 openings. STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and these jobs are considered high wage and high skill.

In February, CareerSource Central Florida, along with the state’s other 23 Regional Workforce Boards, reported more than 37,900 Floridians were placed in jobs. An individual who receives employment and training assistance through a One-Stop Career Center and finds a job within 180 days is deemed a placement and may be reported by a regional workforce board. Of these individuals, 9,620 previously received Reemployment Assistance. In 2013, more than 479,064 Floridians were placed in jobs, with 135,384 former claimants finding employment.

Florida’s statewide unemployment rate for February 2014 was 6.2 percent, the lowest unemployment rate in the state since June 2008. The rate held steady to the revised January 2014 rate of 6.2 percent. Florida’s statewide unemployment rate has been below the national unemployment rate since August 2013, which was 6.7 percent in February 2014. Since December 2010, Florida has created 540,700 private sector jobs.